Bears obtain DT Price from Buccaneers

July 26, 2012|By Dan Pompei, Tribune reporter

Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery indicated Tuesday he was not finished adding pieces to the team's roster. On Thursday, he traded a 2013 draft pick -- a seventh-rounder, according to a source -- to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for defensive tackle Brian Price.

Before Price officially joins the Bears, he will have to pass a physical. Price had two surgical procedures to re-attach his hamstrings to his fractured pelvis more than a year ago, but is believed to be fully recovered.

A source said Price struggled on the Bucs’ conditioning test Thursday, however.

If Price is healthy, he can be a significant acquisition. He was the 35th overall pick of the 2010 draft. Last year he started 14 games and had three sacks despite not being completely healthy. He told the Tampa Tribune he never was more than 60 percent healthy last year.

Also of concern is Price’s emotional state. His 30-year-old sister Bridget was killed in a car crash in May. Shortly after, Price collapsed at One Buc Place because of mental and physical exhaustion. He subsequently was hospitalized for four days.

After he was released, he got into a fight with Bucs rookie safety Mark Barron and was given permission to skip the rest of offseason workouts, including a mandatory minicamp.